AISHAfArabic, Urdu, AmericanMeans "alive" in Arabic. This was the name of Muhammad's third wife, the daughter of Abu Bakr. Some time after Muhammad's death she went to war against Ali, the fourth caliph, but was defeated. This name is used more by Sunni Muslims and less by Shias.... [more]

ALBA (1)fItalian, Spanish, CatalanThis name is derived from two distinct names, ALBA (2) and ALBA (3), with distinct origins, Latin and Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter, alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.

BENJAMINmEnglish, French, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) which means "son of the south" or "son of the right hand", from the roots בֵּן (ben) meaning "son" and יָמִין (yamin) meaning "right hand, south". Benjamin in the Old Testament is the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-'oni) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father (see Genesis 35:18).... [more]

BROOKLYNfEnglish (Modern)From the name of the borough of New York City, originally derived from Dutch Breukelen meaning "broken land". It can also be viewed as a combination of BROOK and the popular name suffix lyn.

CHRISTOPHERmEnglishFrom the Late Greek name Χριστοφορος (Christophoros) meaning "bearing CHRIST", derived from Χριστος (Christos) combined with φερω (phero) "to bear, to carry". Early Christians used it as a metaphorical name, expressing that they carried Christ in their hearts. In the Middle Ages, literal interpretations of the name's etymology led to legends about a Saint Christopher who carried the young Jesus across a river. He has come to be regarded as the patron saint of travellers.... [more]

COCOfVariousDiminutive of names beginning with Co, influenced by the word cocoa. However, this was not the case for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (real name Gabrielle), whose nickname came from the name of a song she performed while working as a cabaret singer.

DUSTYm & fEnglishFrom a nickname originally given to people perceived as being dusty. It is also used a diminutive of DUSTIN. A famous bearer was British singer Dusty Springfield (1939-1999), who acquired her nickname as a child.

ENZOmItalianThe meaning of this name is uncertain. In some cases it seems to be an old Italian form of HEINZ, though in other cases it could be a variant of the Germanic name ANZO. In modern times it is also used as a short form of names ending in enzo, such as VINCENZO or LORENZO.

GAIAfGreek Mythology, ItalianFrom the Greek word γαια (gaia), a parallel form of γη (ge) meaning "earth". In Greek mythology Gaia was the mother goddess who presided over the earth. She was the mate of Uranus and the mother of the Titans and the Cyclopes.

HARLOWf & mEnglishFrom a surname which was from a place name which was derived from Old English hær "rock" or here "army", combined with hlaw "hill".

HARPERf & mEnglishFrom an Old English surname which originally belonged to a person who played the harp or who made harps. A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.

IAGOmWelsh, Galician, PortugueseWelsh and Galician form of JACOB. This was the name of two early Welsh kings of Gwynedd. It is also the name of the villain in Shakespeare's tragedy 'Othello' (1603).

INDIAfEnglishFrom the name of the country, which is itself derived from the name of the Indus River. The river's name is ultimately from Sanskrit सिन्धु (Sindhu) meaning "body of trembling water, river".

INDIANAf & mEnglishFrom the name of the American state, which means "land of the Indians". This is the name of the hero in the 'Indiana Jones' series of movies, starring Harrison Ford.

IRELANDfEnglish (Modern)From the name of the European island country, derived from Irish Gaelic Éire, which may mean something like "abundant land" in Old Irish.

JADEf & mEnglish, FrenchFrom the name of the precious stone that is often used in carvings. It is derived from Spanish (piedra de la) ijada meaning "(stone of the) flank", relating to the belief that jade could cure renal colic. As a given name, it came into general use during the 1970s. It was initially unisex, though it is now mostly feminine.

JAMESmEnglish, BiblicalEnglish form of the Late Latin name Iacomus which was derived from Ιακωβος (Iakobos), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (see JACOB). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus.... [more]

LEOmGerman, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, English, Croatian, Late RomanDerived from Latin leo meaning "lion", a cognate of LEON. It was popular among early Christians and was the name of 13 popes, including Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), a Russian novelist whose works include 'War and Peace' and 'Anna Karenina'. Leo is also the name of a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.

LEONmEnglish, German, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Dutch, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek λεων (leon) meaning "lion". During the Christian era this Greek name was merged with the Latin cognate Leo, with the result that the two forms are used somewhat interchangeably across European languages. In England during the Middle Ages this was a common name among Jews. A famous bearer was Leon Trotsky (1879-1940), a Russian Communist revolutionary.

LOUISmFrench, English, DutchFrench form of Ludovicus, the Latinized form of LUDWIG. This was the name of 18 kings of France, starting with Louis I the son of Charlemagne. Others include Louis IX (Saint Louis) who led two crusades and Louis XIV (called the Sun King) who was the ruler of France during the height of its power, the builder of the Palace of Versailles, and the longest reigning monarch in the history of Europe. It was also borne by kings of Germany (as Ludwig), Hungary (as Lajos), and other places.... [more]

LOURDESfSpanishFrom the name of a French town. It became a popular center of pilgrimage after a young girl from the town had visions of the Virgin Mary in a nearby grotto.

LYNNf & mEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from Welsh llyn "lake". Before the start of the 20th century it was primarily used for boys, but it has since come to be more common for girls. In some cases it may be thought of as a short form of LINDA or names that end in lyn or line.

MADDOXmEnglish (Modern)From a Welsh surname meaning "son of MADOC". It was brought to public attention when the actress Angelina Jolie gave this name to her adopted son in 2002.

MARCOmItalian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, DutchItalian form of MARK. During the Middle Ages this name was common in Venice, where Saint Mark was supposedly buried. A famous bearer was the Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who travelled across Asia to China in the 13th century.

MAXIMILIANmGerman, English, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishFrom the Roman name Maximilianus, which was derived from MAXIMUS. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint and martyr. In the 15th century the Holy Roman emperor Frederick III gave this name to his son and eventual heir. In this case it was a blend of the names of the Roman generals Fabius Maximus and Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus (see EMILIANO), who Frederick admired. It was subsequently borne by a second Holy Roman emperor, two kings of Bavaria, and a short-lived Habsburg emperor of Mexico.

MONTEmEnglishEither a diminutive of MONTGOMERY or from the Spanish or Italian vocabulary word meaning "mountain".

MOSESmEnglish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh) which is most likely derived from Egyptian mes meaning "son", but could also possibly mean "deliver" in Hebrew. The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of "drew out" from Hebrew משה (mashah) is probably an invented etymology (see Exodus 2:10). The biblical Moses was drawn out of the Nile by the pharaoh's daughter and adopted into the royal family, at a time when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. With his brother Aaron he demanded the pharaoh release the Israelites, which was only done after God sent ten plagues upon Egypt. Moses led the people across the Red Sea and to Mount Sinai, where he received the Ten Commandments from God. After 40 years of wandering in the desert the people reached Canaan, the Promised Land, but Moses died just before entering it.... [more]

OCEANm & fEnglish (Rare)Simply from the English word ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ωκεανος (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.

PAOLOmItalianItalian form of Paulus (see PAUL). Paolo Uccello and Paolo Veronese were both Italian Renaissance painters.

PAXfRoman MythologyMeans "peace" in Latin. In Roman mythology this was the name of the goddess of peace.

PEARLfEnglishFrom the English word pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.

PENELOPEfGreek Mythology, EnglishPossibly derived from Greek πηνελοψ (penelops), a type of duck. Alternatively it could be from πηνη (pene) "threads, weft" and ωψ (ops) "face, eye". In Homer's epic the 'Odyssey' this is the name of the wife of Odysseus, forced to fend off suitors while her husband is away fighting at Troy. It has occasionally been used as an English given name since the 16th century.

PRESLEYf & mEnglishFrom an English surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest clearing" (Old English preost and leah). This surname was borne by musician Elvis Presley (1935-1977).

ROMEOmItalianItalian form of the Late Latin name Romaeus meaning "a pilgrim to Rome". Romeo is best known as the lover of Juliet in Shakespeare's tragedy 'Romeo and Juliet' (1596).

ROSEfEnglish, FrenchOriginally a Norman form of a Germanic name, which was composed of the elements hrod "fame" and heid "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms Roese and Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower rose (derived from Latin rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.

ROWANm & fIrish, English (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Ruadháin meaning "descendant of RUADHÁN". This name can also be given in reference to the rowan tree.

SCOUTfEnglish (Rare)From the English word scout meaning "one who gathers information covertly", which is derived from Old French escouter "to listen". Harper Lee used this name in her novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (1960).

SERAPHINAfEnglish (Rare), German (Rare), Late RomanFeminine form of the Late Latin name Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word seraphim which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each. This was the name of a 13th-century Italian saint who made clothes for the poor. As an English name, it has never been common.

SHILOHm & fBiblicalFrom an Old Testament place name possibly meaning "tranquil" in Hebrew. It is also used prophetically in the Old Testament to refer to a person, often understood to be the Messiah (see Genesis 49:10). This may in fact be a mistranslation. This name was brought to public attention after Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie gave it to their daughter in 2006.

SUMMERfEnglishFrom the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.

TALLULAHfEnglish (Rare)Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.

VINCENTmEnglish, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, SlovakFrom the Roman name Vincentius, which was from Latin vincere "to conquer". This name was popular among early Christians, and it was borne by many saints. As an English name, Vincent has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the 19th century. Famous bearers include the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and the post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).

VIVIANm & fEnglish, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishFrom the Latin name Vivianus which was derived from Latin vivus "alive". Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of BÉBINN or a variant of VIVIEN (2).